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Issue No. 6 June 9, 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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R:.W:. Joseph R. Leo R:.W:. David Blasch V:.W:. John G. Cola V:.W:. Scott A. Klein Lodges of the Athelstane Cornerstone Goshen Hoffman Hudson River Jerusalem Temple Naurashank Port Jervis Stony Point-Wawayanda Wallkill Warwick West Point |
I'd like to thank all of the Brothers who have e-mailed me with kind comments about this newsletter. I appreciate your feedback and am working to incorporate many of your ideas. Please remember that this is a newsletter, not a web site, and that its primary purpose is current events and updates. For more detailed, static information about the District, we still have the ORDMA web site, which I am told will be updated soon. It's been a busy few weeks, with many Installations now behind us, but a few still coming up along with parades, picnics, and barbecues. We also have a LOT to do in the month of September, so it's very important that we get all of our Masters and Wardens out to the Masters and Wardens Meeting on Monday June 12th at 7:00 p.m. This meeting will be followed by our newly resurrected School of Instruction at 8:00 p.m., both at Jerusalem temple Lodge in Mountainville, NY. The work on the trestleboard is the Opening, CLosing, and Balloting and we hope for a large turnout of new officers. Finally, several Brothers have informed me that they have not yet received the Masonic Compact in the mail, so I will be leaving it up on this newsletter for awhile. If you haven't given this important document the attention it deserves, please do so, and share it with your family and friends. I also call your attention to the announcement about the Individual Development Course (iDC). The deadline is coming up soon and I know several Brothers have expressed an interest in the class. Please contact the DDGM. A MESSAGE FROM OUR GRAND MASTER
This letter is being included for a second week because several Brothers did not receive it. It's worth another read by everyone, though! Dear Brothers, As this letter reaches you, I have taken my obligation as your Grand Master. I knelt at the same altar upon which I took my obligations in the Order of DeMolay, with my hands on the Bible upon which Brother George Washington was inaugurated as our first president. My memory went back to the other times I knelt and pronounced obligations; I recalled the impact those words had on my life and on my actions. Then, I was left with the understanding that I had duties to myself, my family, DeMolay, my Lodge, and to Freemasonry. Today, I know that I have even stronger duties to serve you and this Grand Lodge, and to work with you to continue to make Freemasonry in New York State the best representation of the Craft it can be. I call upon you now to join me in embracing the words of the Masonic Compact, which are printed on the page accompanying this letter. The Compact is not an obligation, nor is it a piece of the Standard Work. It does not ask or expect anything new from us as Freemasons. It is an opportunity for you and me to remember the principles that drew us to Freemasonry, the actions we desire to take as active Freemasons, and the support we can offer and expect from our Lodges and our Brothers as we strive to improve ourselves in Masonry, and thereby improve the world around us. It is an opportunity to momentarily put aside our working tools and reflect on the strengths of Masonry, before returning to our labors with a renewed sense of commitment and duty. A compact is an agreement or pledge between two parties. This Masonic Compact is a way to re-state our agreement to bring the best we have to offer to the Craft, and to trust that our Lodges and our Grand Lodge will stand and work alongside us to become the best they can be. My hope is that every newly-Raised Brother will also hear the words of the Masonic Compact as he signs the By-laws and becomes a full member of his Lodge, knowing that each Brother within the Lodge has made the same pledge to him and to each other member. My compact with you is that the principles and actions described
in the Masonic Compact will underscore every activity, program, and
decision I put forth as your Grand Master. My promise is that the
words of the Masonic Compact will be foremost in my mind as I work
to bring the best of myself to my service to you and to this Grand
Lodge. I ask you to join me in these labors, and to carry these principles
and actions into every aspect of your lives within and outside of
the Lodge. I ask this knowing that we will surely improve ourselves
and our Craft in the process. Sincerely and fraternally, DISTRICT NEWS
Homecoming Dinner for R:.W:. Daniel E. Jonas 2007 Individual Development Course (iDC) The major goal of the iDC is to mentor the course participants as they learn, use, share, and refine a diverse range of tools in the areas of personal development, community and group building, group process, interpersonal communication, and project implementation. The course has been streamlined this year with additional elements of computer-based training between sessions replacing some of the classroom lectures, allowing more time to interact with your Brothers from around the state. The 2007 session of the Individual Development Course will begin on Saturday September 16th and will run on the third Saturday of each month until March. Anyone interested in taking this exciting class should complete the application in the iDC brochures that are being sent to the Lodges and submit it to the District Deputy Grand Master ASAP. You can also download a copy of the iDC brochure in odf format by clicking here. Cornerstone Lodge Sponsors Children's Crafts An Invitation to the Masters of Lodges DATES TO REMEMBER
HELP WANTED
Wallkill Lodge invites the Brethren of our District to join them in marching in the General Montgomery Day Parade in Montgomery, NY on September 9, 2006, and the Walden Day Parade in Walden, NY on September 16, 2006. For more information, please contact the Master-Elect, Bro. Robert Schroeder. Masonic Family Days are Coming SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION
The Orange-Rockland School of Masonic Instruction has returned! The School will convene on the second Tuesday of each month, at locations around the District. Instruction will rotate on a monthly basis between Ritual, Grand Lodge educational programs, and seminars on topics like Leadership and Communication. Our next School will be held on Monday June 12th at Jerusalem Temple Lodge at 8:00 p.m. In consideration of all our new officers, a program on Opening, Closing, and Balloting will be presented by our Assistant Grand Lecturers. A brief Masters and Wardens meeting will precede the School at 7:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact the DDGM. We'll see you there! FUN STUFF
Enjoy this Masonic cryptogram. Each number represents a letter. The result is a well-known Masonic phrase. Enjoy!
Last week's puzzle: The uninitiated judge Masonry on the conduct of individual members Copyright 2006 Orange-Rockland District, GLNY F&AM. All rights reserved. |
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